Quick Hit Artist Interview: Discotelle

Discotelle at Junior High

Interview with the artist. Enjoy:

What is currently influencing your music? I'm currently influenced by my own broken brain, the state of the world, the sometimes overbearing California sunshine, and the nostalgia of a Tennessee summer. Musically, I would say we draw from Fleetwood Mac, Loretta Lynn, Van Halen, and Angel Olsen.

How do you go about combining lyrics and music? I don't normally write a song with the intention of it being about a specific moment or feeling. Normally I'll sit down with my guitar and let my brain go somewhere and the words follow. Then I'll take the skeleton song to my bandmates, Skyler and Duncan, and they beef it up instrumentally.

Quick Hit Band Interview: The Sweet Kill

 

The Sweet Kill at Harvard & Stone

Interview with the band. Enjoy:

What is currently inspiring the band (in terms of music)? I created a Dark & Gothic 2021 playlist on Spotify so the search for hidden gems both old and new to add to the playlist is super inspiring!

How would you like your music to impact people who listen to your music or see you play live? For those who are listening, I would want that individual to come to the show (now that we have them again) and vice versa; for someone who's at the show and digging the vibe to dive into the Spotify!

Own final thoughts: I wage war against addiction. I write about the darkness to create the need for the light. The Sweet Kill desires to connect to those afflicted with the heavy of life. To provide a fun space to unplug from the grid with like minded trudgers is my goal!

Quick Hit Artist Interview: Christina Apostolopoulos

Christina Apostolopoulos at
Junior High

Interview with the artist. Enjoy:

How would you describe your sound? My sound is mainly folk-inspired with a good dose of blues & jazz mixed in.

What motivates you to write your music? I'm a fairly shy person outside of performing, so being on stage singing my own songs feels like a place where I can safely speak my truth. When I sit down to write I think, what's on my heart right now? What do I to need say?

Own final thoughts: I'm half Greek (see: my last name), and have been starting to play a lot more Greek songs in my sets! It's been a fun challenge; I hope my Yia Yia and Papou would be proud.

Quick Hit Band Interview: Ryan Hahn & The Believers

 

Ryan Hahn & The Believers at the 
Silverlake Lounge

Interview with the band. Enjoy:

How would you describe your sound? I would describe my sound as Americana/Rock’n’roll. Influenced by artists like Tom Petty, Steve Earle, Neil Young, etc. 

 Is there a story behind one of your songs that you’d like to share? My song Farmers Son off our last EP titled the same . . . this one is about having tattoos, living in LA, and how lots of people see me as an “rock and roll city boy.” But even though I may not look like it, I’m still the same ole kid who grew up on the tobacco farm in small town rural Kentucky. It’s about never forgetting who you are and where you came from, no matter how far you travel from it.

Quick Hit Band Interview: Water Tower

Water Tower at the Silverlake Lounge

Interview with the band. Enjoy:

What's the story behind how your band started? Short answer: We met in high school at the water tower in the woods. Many people would come from around the little suburb town to hang out at the water tower, and we enjoyed playing music there. Every night in the summer we could see groups of people flocking to the tower for a place to spend a few minutes in the woods down a gravel road, away from the city.

And just in case- Long answer can be found at Scene Point Blank

Where is your favorite spot to write music? And why the spot? I love to write music on the side of the road. The constant flow of people in cars inspire me to understand myself on a deeper level. I see a bit of myself in each person, and therefore I have endless inspiration on the road.

Own Q&A. Why do y’all write music? It makes us happy, and it helps us grow. We stay connected through the music, and therefore are able to stand back from the painting and see the bigger picture.

Quick Hit Artist Interview: Lasers Lasers Birmingham

Lasers Lasers Birmingham at the Silverlake Lounge

Interview with the artist. Enjoy:

What is currently influencing you in terms of music? Most of my music career I focused on songwriting but now, I’m going back to old country standards trying to learn how to be a better interpreter of other people’s material.

What thrills you about performing live? It's just so great to be on a stage in front of people again. Every aspect of it thrills me, the energy when people sing along, laugh at my jokes between songs or when the room is silent and you can feel the crowd just listening. I don’t even mind if someone yells “Play Freebird!”

Quick Hit Band Interview: Paper Idol

Paper Idol at The Hi Hat

Interview with the band. Enjoy:

What is currently inspiring the band when it comes to your music? Been very inspired by Future Funk, Arthur Schopenhauer, New French Extremity cinema, Francis Bacon, VSauce.

What thrills you about performing live? Having the opportunity to dance awkwardly in front of a large number of people

Own Q&A: Boxers or Briefs? A: (by band member) Adam: Briefs, Matan: Briefs, Victor: yet to be disclosed.

Quick Hit Artist Interview: Heyboy

Heyboy at Bar Lubitsch

Interview with the artist. Enjoy:

What do you currently find inspiring (in terms of music)? I’ve always been super inspired by Brit Rock/Pop greats such as Coldplay/U2/Oasis and Elton John. Other recent acts I look to are The 1975, Holly Humberstone and Frank Ocean.

Your set was very high energy, what thrills you about performing live? Performing live is honestly my favorite thing in the world. It’s where the rubber meets the road for me. You make these records in the studio, which is awesome, but you don’t get to experience the music with people listening. Live shows are special because it’s where you get to share that experience with people who have made the songs their own. It’s euphoric.

Quick Hit Artist Interview: Haiden

 

Haiden at Bar Lubitsch

Interview with the artist. Enjoy:

Is there a story behind when you decided that you wanted to start performing your music live? I always knew that playing live would help me grow my audience and more importantly would give me a chance to connect with them so I was just waiting to have enough songs to fill a set list hahaha. It’s important to me that people aren’t just stats on my phone screen, and the music I make is grounded and human.

Do you have a message or objective behind your music? As of now, I feel like I just have a lot of stories to tell and a perspective on those stories that I haven’t heard fully represented by other artists. I can’t imagine anyone else singing my songs because of how directly they tie into how I see the world and my place in it. At the end of the day though, I think I just wanna feel related to so that I know, and the fans know, that we aren’t alone in feeling this way.

Final thoughts: I think the most unique thing about me is how rooted my personal life is in a logical and analytical state of mind. I’m not a super emotional person so music is the way I let that out. I studied aerospace engineering in school and I think that informed my narrative voice a bit. My lyrics have to be concise, efficient, and really honest otherwise I’m not convinced by the story I’m tryna tell.

Quick Hit Artist Interview: Kilo Tango

 

Kilo Tango at Little Joy

Interview with the artist. Enjoy:

When did you make the decision to start performing music? I made the decision to start performing music when I dropped out of college. I had a strong desire to write and play music and no interest in school. I felt like my true calling was in music so that’s when I really started to go for it.

What band/artist (past or present) would you most like to open for and why the choice? Mazzy Star. They are one of my all-time favorites and they heavily influenced me in their sound and lyrics. Hope's vocals are soft and vulnerable yet so captivating. It made me more confident in my voice in that I felt mine was similar to hers. Their songs were just so easy for me to relate to and they have that feeling of nostalgia and melancholy that I adore.

Quick Hit Band Interview: Buckets

Buckets at Big Top DIY Fest

Interview with the band. Enjoy:

What’s the story behind how your band started? A combination of Tinder, Craigslist, drunken house parties led us to one another. Props to dating apps for helping to form punk bands.

What are some of your favorite spots, locations, areas in Los Angeles? What make them your favorites? Most of us live and spend a majority of our time on the Northeast side of the city. Some of our favorite places over here are spots like All Star Lanes (Eagle Rock), Elysian Park, Club Tee Gee (Atwater Village), Little Joy (Echo Park), and Bootleg Theatre (Historic Filipinotown, RIP). We’ve all been going to these places since we moved to LA and they just feel like home, no matter what.

Quick Hit Artist Interview: Slip

Slip at the Lodge Room (shot for Buzzbands)

Interview with the artist. Enjoy:

What is currently inspiring you in terms of music? I feel like this answer changes every so often for me, but there have been some live shows that have been really inspiring to me this year. Idles at the Wiltern was my favorite show in a while. Khruangbin at Desert Daze was like a masterclass at instrumental proficiency. Thom Yorke at the Greek was magical - Radiohead and Thom have been prevailing influences for me for a while, if it wasn't overtly obvious already. Aside from that I've been spinning Prince's S/T record almost daily for the past month.

What is one of your high or low moments and what makes it stand out? I think I need some more highs and lows as I've only played a handful of shows as slip up until now. Hopefully more highs than lows, although you can't have one without the other, I suppose. Get back to me in like a year or two on this one ;)

Own final thoughts: I produced, mixed, and to a certain degree wrote my debut album 'the cost' in track order. A lot of artists will typically write a bunch of songs and then piece it together after - I pieced it together as I went along, knowing that from the day I wrote and recorded track 1 ("the patient," which I wrote and demo'd in two days in my friend's garage). I feel like that went a long way in terms of how the album feels cohesive and has a narrative structure.

Quick Hit Band Interview: Blue Rose Rounders

Photo take at the Bootleg Theater

Interview with the band (with Emily Rose)

How would you describe your sound? Borrowed from Patsy, Waylon and George, written on long nights or long drives.

Do you find greater enjoyment writing a great song or performing a great song? Why the choice. I could never choose. I don't know that I would want to do one without the other. Writing is essential but sharing what you write and seeing how other people feel about it makes the experience infinitely more meaningful.

Own final thoughts: Hmmmmmm . . . my favorite band is Gun Club. And I'll always choose “Miami” over “Fire of Love.”

Quick Hit Band Interview: Foxx Bodies

Photo taken at Sun Space

Interview with the band (via Bailey). Enjoy:

What's the story behind how the band started? We started as a therapy session and accidentally turned into a band. Our singer Bella was in the midst of turning in her rapist so we all began jamming on some punk music as a cathartic release. Word got around that we had been playing music and next thing we knew people were asked to play a proper show. We put together what we had from our jam sessions and became a band. 

Where is your favorite spot to write music? And why the spot? I think our favorite spot will always be our original home in Tucson where we wrote all of our original songs. It's just a sentimental place.

Quick Hit Band Interview: The Night Times

Photo taken at The Teragram Ballroom for Buzzbands

Interview with the band. Enjoy:

Ben (Organist) 

What is currently inspiring you? Currently been listening to a lot of CCR, Mazzy Star, Metallica. Four Horsemen is my all-time jam and can't let go of it 

How would you like your music to impact people who listen to your music or see you play live? Rock n roll and keep the partyin' going is all I gotta say. 

Tanya (Drummer) 

What is currently inspiring you? I've been inspired by a whole lot of Bad Brains and X-ray Spex. 

How would you like your music to impact people who listen to your music or see you play live? Just have a blast and enjoy themselves. 

Magoo (Guitarist) 

What is currently inspiring you? Lately been listening to a lot of early AC/DC, Flamin' Groovies, The Seeds, Tommy and the Commies and other stuff. 

How would you like your music to impact people who listen to your music or see you play live? I'd like for people to have a great time!! keep rock n roll alive!! 

Squints (Guitarist) 

What is currently inspiring you? Some of my influences right now range quite a bit! From listening and helping my buddy learn some traditional country to jamming out to some 77's. It’s hard to pin point exactly, anything really that moves me! 

How would you like your music to impact people who listen to your music or see you play live? I’d like for the audience to feel what we all individually bring to the stage, each one of us is a different musician! And I hope they like it! 

Is there a Q&A you’ve always wanted to answer: We can’t really think of a question that we’ve always wanted to be asked. If you have any questions or just curious, just ask us! We are everyday people. We talk to everyone who talks to us! 

Chris (Singer) 

What is currently inspiring you? Currently, the band is driven off of high energy and pure adrenalin . . . I’d like to say we feed off of each other and other local musical groups of past present and future . . . 

How would you like your music to impact people who listen to your music or see you play live? Like to see the crowd engage the feeling of moving and being a part of the performance . . . dancing, moshing, or even tapping their toes . . .

Quick Hit Band Interview: Bandie

Bandie at The Satellite

Interview with the artist. Enjoy:

What's the story behind how the band started? I (Brian) have been drumming in my friends' bands for years, but I recently started writing my own songs, so now my friends are playing in my project too. They're the best. 

Where is your favorite spot to write music? And why the spot? I love writing music at home. I can explore, make mistakes, record demos, and sing a lot. I also love writing songs at my friends' houses and collaborating with them. Their ideas are always so great. 

Own final thoughts: Bandie is my dog's name.

Quick Hit Band Interview: Twin Oaks

Twin Oaks at The Satellite

Interview with the band. Enjoy:

How would you describe your music? Though there are quite a few heavy influences that can be found in how we write, we like to draw things out from quietly plucked guitars to layered electronics to the hazy dream pop sounds and dynamically driven post-rock. 

What inspires you to write/compose your songs? We often try to write what comes to us naturally, which is often tied to personal experiences that we hope people can find some sort of connection to and maybe find their own interpretations of the songs. The musical textures often come from old lo-fi tape aesthetics and audio degradation while playing from quiet folk-style guitar stuff. Sonically, we like to draw out the feeling of open spaces whether it be wandering through an empty house, passing by a desert field, or a late night drive through downtown streets. There are loads of modern inspirations like Daughter, Frightened Rabbit, Boards of Canada, The National, & Sigur Ros . . . but also Carole King, Nina Simone, Nick Drake, & Judy Collins.

Quick Hit Band Interview: Fawns of Love

Fawns of Love at The Echo

Interview with the band. Enjoy:

How would you describe your sound? Four bands and albums in particular have influenced our sound: Sparks’ No. 1 in Heaven produced by Giorgio Moroder (this album is light years ahead of its’ time, and a few years back we got to see them play “The Number One Song in Heaven” live (during their Hippopotamus tour) and it was so beautiful we thought we had died and gone to heaven), New Order’s Power, Corruption & Lies, Kate Bush’s Hounds of Love (our namesake kind of, Hounds of Love was already taken so we went with Fawns of Love instead), and Cocteau Twins’ Blue Bell Knoll.

What’s your favorite Fawns Of Love song and what makes it the favorite? With our latest record Permanent (Test Pattern Records) we were able to finally take our eclectic influences and create a cohesive sound. In particular, we are pleased with the tracks “Someday,” “December,” and “Permanent.” We owe a lot to Michael Stock (Part Time Punks) for being so supportive and for introducing us to Josiah Mazzaschi (Cave Studios, Light FM) who helped bring our sound to the next level. 

Own final thoughts: The most frequently asked question at our shows is in regard to what Joseph is playing. To make a long story short, we are massive fans of Grinderman and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and once Warren Ellis came out with a tenor guitar for Eastwood, we just had to have it. We think it has a unique sound and is a major component of our sound.

Quick Hit Band Interview: Pink Sock

Pink Sock at the Echoplex

Interview with the band. Enjoy:

How would you describe your music? Our music is romantic and debaucherous.

Is there a story behind one of your songs that you’d like to share? “Westside Girl” is based on the struggles of being a Santa Monica boy meeting women that all seem to be exclusively from the east side.

Own Q&A. Steam Room or Sauna? A. Steam all the way baby!

Quick Hit Band Interview: Punk Crush

Punk Crush at The Satellite

Interview with the band. Enjoy:

What's the story behind how your band started? We bought a questionable drum set on Craigslist and I drove to Long Beach and almost hit multiple people on the way. One thing led to another and here we are!

What’s the favorite part of your Punk Crush set? We like the part where we scream at each other, and also at the audience, with fiendish glee.

Final thoughts: for future inquirers, we are not looking for a bassist.